Incubator.



S. L. WRIGHT & I. C. GRIFFIN.

INCUBATOR.

APPucATmN FILED SEPT. 10. 1914.

1,182,727. Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

5 IIIIIIII IIIIII-.lefil S. L. WRIGHT & I. C. GRIFFIN.

INCUBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I0, I9I4.

l,182,727 Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. @3g/@Qi a?. 416

@NTFU TAPFF PATENT FFCE.

SETH L. WRGHT AND JULIUS C. GRIFFIN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

INCUBATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

To all wlw/Jn 'it may conce/1in.'

Be it known that we, SETI-i L. WRIGHT and JULiUs C. GRIFFIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful 1inprovements in lncubators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to incubators and more particularly to an improved heating and `"entilating means therefor, the invention having as its primary object to provide a construction wherein the temperature within the incubating chamber of the o incubator will be automatically regulated and wherein the regulation of said temperature will automatically and simultaneously vcntilate the said chamber.

The invention has as a further object to provide an improved construction wherein foul air will be taken from within the incubating chamber immediately adjacent the eggs contained therein, or the point where such foul air is created, to effect the thorough ventilation of the said chamber.

'i he invention has as a still further object to pr vide a construction wherein fresh and pure heated air will be constantly supplied to the incubating chamber, and wherein such supply of air will not come in contact with the flame of the heating lamp, or otherwise communicate with said lamp during the heating operation. And the invention has as a still further object to provide a construction wherein the incubating chamber will be automatically ventilated through the action of mechanism arranged within the said chamber, and wherein the said mechaiiisin will also control the temperature of the chamber.

With these and other objects in view our invention will be more fully described illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

in the accompanying drawings 1-Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of our improved incubator particularly illustrating the arrangement of the fresh air distributing tank within the incubating chamber as well as the arrangement of the ventilating cone, therein, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fresh air intake tank andthe heating tank, the lamp ,illustrated being of conventional form and partly broken away, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view particularly showing the manner in which the incubating chamber is ventilated simultaneously with the regulation of the temperature within the said chamber, Fig. is a fragmentary perspective view of the ventilating cone and the defiector arranged therein, the deflector being shown detached, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the regulating lever of the thermostat.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters. Referring more particularly to the drawings, our improved incubator includes a casing which may be of any desired size or construction and which is preferably rectangular and provided with spaced inner and outer walls upon the top, bottom, and rear thereof between which a suitable packing of refractory material is interposed, the said casing as is usual, being supported upon legs 11. Formed in the front wall of the casing 10 which, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, is preferably solid, is a suitable door opening in which is arranged a door 12, the said door being hingedly connected to the forward edge of the bottom wall of the casing. Secured to the inner faces of the end walls of the casing substantially midway the height of the incubating chamber provided within the said casing 10, are oppositely disposed horizontally arranged supports or cleats 13, and resting upon said supports is a fresh air distributing tank or chamber 14. rThe distributing tank 11i is preferably formed of suitable sheet metal and includes the spaced upper and lower walls 15, which, at the longitudinal margins of the body portion of the tank are bent to extend laterally upon one side of the said body portion to provide oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending side portions 16, which are formed at their outer extremities with laterally disposed and inwardly extending discharge terminals 17. As best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the distributing tank 14 is disposed to fit within the upper portion of the incubating chamber with the discharge terminals 17 thereof resting upon the supports 13 and with the body portion of the said tank, fittingagainst the upper wall of the casing, it being understood that the said tank is -preferably of such size as to extend the entiredepth of the said casing as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Formed in the discharge terminals 17 are longitudinally extending slots or openings 18, which communicateV with the interior of the tank and with the incubating chamber as will be readily understood.

VExtending through the distributing tank 14 medially thereof and through the upper wall ofthe casing, is a Ventilating flue 19, which communicates with the outer air and which, at its inner extremity, extends downwardly into the incubating chamber. Adjustably mounted within the inner extremity of said Ventilating flue is a draft cone 20, the said cone or Ventilating hood being provided with a hollow stem 21 which is disposed to telescope within the liuc 19 and which is frictionally engaged by resilient members 22 secured to the inner wall of the flue 19 adjacent the outer extremity thereof, the members 22 being each preferably formed from a strip of suitable sheet metal which Yis longitudinally bowed to extend radially Within the flue and which is secured at its extremities to the wall thereof. By this construction, it will be observed that the draft cone 20 may be adjusted vertically within the incubating chamber toward or away from the egg tray 23, which, for convenience, has been conventionally shown.

Arranged within the draft cone 20 is a substantially conical deliector 24 which is shownin detail in Fig. 4'of the drawings. The said deliector upon one side thereof, is provided with oppositely arranged hooks 25 which are disposed to engage at their outer extremities beneath the free extremities of similarly disposed hooks 26 secured within the draft cone 20. It will be noted that the deflector 24 is thus detachably connected to the draft cone, to be readily removed if desired, and is so arranged as to prevent air within the incubating chamber from escaping too readily through the ventilating flue 19, the deflector 24 being preferably supported in close spaced relation to the inner wall of the draft cone, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Detachably connected with the distributing tank 14 and arranged preferably, in the rear thereof and exteriorly to the casing 10, is a combined heating tank and fresh air supply tank which is indicated as a whole at 27. More particularly, the heating tank or chamber includes a casing 28 which ispreferably formed of suitable sheet metal and communicating with which isa flue 29 anda discharge flue 30. Mounted to tele- -scope within the flue 29 is a second flue 31, which, at its inner extremity, is frictionally engaged by resilient members 32 similarV to the members 22 arranged within the flue 19. The outer j extremity of the fiue 31 is disposed to fit l over a lamp conventionally l shown at 33.

posed brackets or arms 34, which, at their outer extremities, are provided with eyes 35 disposed to receive screws 36 or other fastening devices, which, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, are disposed to engage beneath the annular flange formed on the body portion of the lamp 33. By this arrangement, the lamp 33 may be readily arranged in position and detached when desired and it will be noted that the amount of heat to pass through the iues 29 and 31 and into the heating chamber, may be regulated by adjusting the iiue 31 vertically within the flue 29 either toward or away from the lamp. Preferably, the heating tank 28 as well as the nues 29 and 31 are covered with a suit` able refractory material conventionally shown at 37, this being desirable so` that the heat from the lamp may be. retained within the said tank. Y v

Arranged within the heating tank 28 is a fresh air supply tank or chamber 38 which is maintained spaced from the inner wall of said heating tank by suitable lugs 39, so that heated air entering the heating tank from the lamp may circulate freely around the said supply tank. Communicating with the tank 38 and extending through the wall of the tank 28 are intake tubes 40, two of said tubes being preferably provided and arranged one upon each side of the flue 31.

Communicating with the fresh air tank or chamber 38 upon one side thereof and extending through the wall of the heating tank 28, are oppositely disposed and hori- Zontally arranged discharge tubes 41, the said tubes being arranged to project through suitable apertures formed in the rear wall of the casing 10 and through suitable apertures formed in the rear wall of the body portion of the distributing tank 14, medially thereof, the said tubesbeing slidably mounted within said apertures and being preferably, of such length as to extend within the distributing tank throughout the entire transverse width thereof. I

1t will be observedl that the heating tank 28 and the fresh air tank 38 arethus supported upon the casing 10 by the tubes 41 and that the said tanks with the lamp 33 may be bodily detached from the incubator,

tubes 41 to communicate with the discharge tank 14 practically throughout its entireA width.

Attention is now called to the fact that air entering the fresh air supply tank 38 through the intake tubes 40 will not come in contact with the flame of the lamp to be contaminated with the fumes thereof, since at no point is the fresh air supply tank or its intake or discharge tubes in communication with the heating tank. This is a very important feature of the invention, since it insures that fresh heated air shall be supplied within the incubating chamber. As will be readily understood from the preceding description, the heat from the lamp entering thro-ugh the flues 29 and 31 to the heating chamber 38 will circulate around the fresh air supply chamber 38 to heat the air contained in said supply chamber, the heat from the lamp being discharged through the flue 30. Air will enter the supply chamber 38 through the tubes 40 and upon being heated, will be discharged through the tubes 41 into the distributing chamber 14 whence it will circulate laterally in said chamber to be discharged into the incubating chamber through the openings 1S, it being observed that the incoming heated air is directed into the incubating chamber at the ends thereof and above and immediately adjacent the egg tray 23, the discharge terminals 17 of the distributing tank 14 being preferably arranged medially of the incubating chamber, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Supported upon the casing 10 and arranged within the incubating chamber is a thermostat 43 of conventional construction, which is disposed to actuate a regulating lever 44, pivotally mounted upon the upper wall of the casing l0 and arranged eX- teriorly thereof. As best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the regulating lever 44 includes a shank 45 which, at its outer eX- tremity, is provided with a counter-weight 46 and at its inner extremity, is formed with outwardly diverging arms 47, upon the free extremities of which are arranged dampers 4S. As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, one of the dampers 48 is arranged to lit over the upper extremity of the Ventilating flue 19 while the other of said dampers is arranged to fit over the upper extremity of the heating flue 30, the said dampers being disposed to close said flues upon the proper actuation of the regulating lever 44.

The action of the thermostat 33 need not be gone into in detail, and it will be noted that when the incubating chamber reaches a predetermined temperature, the regulating lever 44 will move to raise the dampers 48, it being understood that the said dampers are normally disposed to close the flues 19 and 30. Upon the raising of the said dampers, the air coming from the lamp 33 will be permitted to escape from the heating chamber 33 through the flue 30, and at the same time, the heated foul air within the incubating chamber will also be permitted to escape through the Ventilating flue 19. Thus, the incubating chamber will be ventilated simultaneously with the regulation of Vthe temperature within the said chamber. Upon the escape of the heated air within the incubating chamber, to thus reduce the temperature of the said chamber, the regulating lever 44 will then move to cause the dampers 43 to close the flues 19 and 30 whence the supply of fresh heated air from the supply tank 3S will tend to return the temperature of the incubating chamber' to normal.

Attention is called to the fact that by the construction which we provide, a practically constant circulation of fresh heated air within the incubating chamber may be had,

by properly adjusting the thermostat 43, as

will be understood, and thus, as the foul air from the eggs within the incubating chamber is created, said foul air will be immediately discharged to be replaced by fresh air. It will therefore be seen that we provide a construction wherein the incubating chamber will be automatically ventilated through the medium of means arranged within the said chamber or the thermostat 33, and that the said means is also adapted to control the temperature of the said chamber. This is a very particular feature of advantage in our invention since the proper ventilation of the incubating chamber is positively insured, while, at the same time, the flow of incoming fresh air into the incubating chamber is regulated correspondingly with the ventilation of the said incubating chamber to thus maintain an even temperature within the chamber. lt will further be seen that the foul air will be taken from within the incubating chamber by the draft cone 20 immediately adjacent the eggs or the point where such foul air is created and that the said cone is adjustable vertically toward or away from the egg tray in order that, when desired, air may be taken from the incubating chamber either immediately adjacent the eggs or from the upper portion of said chamber adjacent the distributing tank 14, while the adjustability of the said draft cone will also permit air to be taken from the incubating chamber at any intermediate point desired. It will further be understood that the intake tubes supplying air to the fresh air chamber may be caused to communicate with some source of pure fresh air, under circumstances where i a plurality of incubators are arranged within a suitable room, so that the foul air discharged from the incubators within the room will not be again drawn into the incubators to be again used, and thus insuring ing chamber arranged Within the incubating chamber and including a body portion eX- tending above the said chamber, the said body portion being formed With side portions arranged to extend vertically of the chamber, said side portions being provided With discharge terminals having openings formed therein communicating with the distributing chamber and With the incubating chamber, a fresh air supply chamber communicating With the distributing chamber,

heating' chamber coacting With said supply chamber and closed therefrom, and means for controlling the discharge of air from the incubating chamber and adapted vto control the discharge of air from the heating chamber.

2. A device of the character described including an incubating` chamber, a distributing' chamber arranged Within the incubating chamber, said distributing chamber including a body portion extending above and over the incubating chamber, the said body portion being provided with laterally disposed side portions extending vertically Within theV incubating chamber and formed With laterally extending inwardly turned discharge terminals, the said terminals having' openings formed therein communicating with the distributing chamber and With the incubating chamber', a fresh air supply chamber Y communicating Withthe distributing chambr, a heating chamber coacting With said supply chamber and closed therefrom, and means for controlling the discharge of air from the incubating chamber and adapted to control the discharge of air from the heating chamber. Y

3. fr device of theY character described including an incubating chamber, a distributing chamber having at its extremities'portions depending into the incubating chamber and provided with laterally directed dischargeterminals opening into the incubating chamber substantially midway between the top and bottom Walls thereof, a fresh air supply chamber' having discharge flues slidably mounted between the Walls of the distributing chamber and communicating With said distributing chamber, a heating chamber surrounding said supply chamber and closed therefrom, said supply chamber also-being provided With an intake flue eX- tending through the Wall of the heating chamber, and'means for controlling the discharge of air from the incubating chamber 'and adapted Vto control the discharge of air from the heating chamber. l

'-l. A device of the character described including an incubating chamber provided with shoulders at opposite ends thereof,'a

distributing chamber having side portionsV depending Within the incubating chamber and provided with laterally directed discharge terminals resting upon said shoulders to support the distributing chamber and opening into the incubating chamber, a fresh air supply chamber communicating With the Vdistributing chamber', and a heating chamber associated With the supply chamber.

5. A device of the character described including an incubating chamber, a distributing chamber having a discharge terminal opening into said incubating chamber, a supply chamber associated With the distributing chamber, and a ventilator adjustable Within the incubating chamber through the plane of said discharge terminal.

(3. A device of the character described 1neluding an incubating chamber, a vdistributing chamber having discharge terminals depending Within the incubating chamber and communicating therewith, a supply chamber associated With the distributing cham-ber, and a ventilating hood adjustable Within the incubating chamber through the plane of said discharge terminals.

In testimony whereof .We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

SETH L. WRIGHT. [19s.]

JULUS C. GRFFIN. [ns] llfitnesses: j

J. J. RILEY,

M. LovnLL.

Copies ci this patent may be obtained for ave cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C." 

